BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo rallied from a 9-1 deficit but fell a run short dropping a 9-8 decision to Niagara University in non-conference baseball action Wednesday night at Audubon Park. The loss concludes UB's season at 11-39 while Niagara improves to 22-19.

Niagara took a 9-1 lead through 4 1/2 innings with two runs each in the second, third and fifth innings as well as a three-run fourth inning. Miguel Iglesias knocked in the Purple Eagles' first two runs with a double in the second inning.

UB's Scott Mruczek (Rochester, NY/Greece-Athena) homered to lead off the second inning, cutting the Niagara lead to 2-1.

Niagara's David Adair walked to open the third inning and came home on Josh McCurdy's triple. McCurdy then scored on a sacrifice fly by Chris Murray. In the fourth, Jamie Robertson opened with a triple and scored on Iglesias' sacrifice fly. Darin Wahl then homered to right and Pete Nastasi singled and later scored on Murray's hit. Wahl again homered in the fifth inning, a two-run shot down the right field line for the 9-1 edge.

The Bulls then started their rally as Eric Huber (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) doubled and came home on Bryan Sanchez's (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) 12th home run of the season. The roundtripper established a single-season mark by Sanchez who held the record with 11 homers in the 2000 campaign.

Things got ugly in the bottom of the sixth inning as first baseman Corey Blair (Oneida, NY/Oneida) was hit by the first pitch of the inning. On his way to first, Blair and Murray, the Niagara first baseman, got into an argument which turned into a dugout-clearing brawl. Blair, Murray and Iglesias were all ejected from the contest. After things settled down, the Bulls were held scoreless in the inning as Aaron Mierwza struck out two to end the threat.

The Bulls put five runs on the scoreboard in the seventh to rally to 9-8. Huber and Sanchez led off with singles and Kevin Brown (Amherst, NY/Amherst) walked to load the bases against Mike Matz. Mruczek then cleared the bases with a three-run double to left center to close the gap to 9-6. One out later, Mike Flaherty (Spencerport, NY/Spencerport) cranked his fourth homer of the year, scoring Mruczek for the 9-8 score. Matz was then relieved by Steve Venerus who got the final two outs of the inning.

Tempers remained heated in the eighth when Rob Golemba (New City, NY/Clarkstown South), who had moved to first base on the Blair ejection, was tossed after a hard tag on Brian Davis.

The Bulls rally came to an end when Venerus took the hill. The righthander did not allow a hit in the final 2.2 innings and struck out six to earn his first save.

Huber finished the game 4-of-4 with a pair of runs scored and finished the season as UB's single-season hits leader with 69. Sanchez, Mruczek and Kevin Nesteruk (Cheektowaga, NY/West Seneca East) each added two hits fo the Bulls. Reliever Mike Leslie (Suffern, NY/Suffern) struck out a career-high eight in the final four innings.